"Good morning Commander, welcome to the Truman." Sturgis was greeted after
his COD landed on deck. "Colonel Mackenzie is waiting for you."
"Thank you."
"Colonel." Sturgis saluted her.
"Mac will do Sturgis." Mac corrected him with a yawn.
"Am I keeping you up?"
"I spent the whole night trying to placate the Italians after the SecNav called and promised them I'd conduct a full investigation into the incident."
"I don't know Mac, you've been out here five days and you're already conducting an investigation into an international incident. I'm beginning to think you're as much trouble as Harm."
"Nothing to do with me. I was just doing my job and being a judge. But now my court martial is abandoned."
"Why?" Sturgis asked.
"It turns out the evidence was tainted, the members were all huddled into a holding room at the cry of battle stations until I sent Jen to get them back to bed and they didn't have much of a case in the first place. It's easier to let it go with a warning."
"I see."
"No you really don't. This place is falling apart." Mac said as she pushed open the door to the office. Jen stood as she entered. "Jen..."
"More coffee yes ma'am. It's nice to see you Commander would you like some coffee too?" Jen asked.
"Thanks." Placing his cover on the desk.
"I'll take your sea bag and stow it in your quarters sir." Sturgis handed her the bag.
"Thanks Jen." Mac said. "Please take a seat."
"Can you brief me as to what happened exactly?" Sturgis asked.
"At approximately 0123 local time."
"Approximately? Mac are your time telling skills slipping?"
"No. Jen knocked on my door at 0126 and 17 seconds, which was just after I had woken up to the sound of the call to battle stations. I'm presuming that it took her a couple of minutes to get to my stateroom so the call must have initially gone out a few minutes before that."
"That hadn't informed you an exercise was planned?" Sturgis asked.
"No or the members. Which is why I went to the bridge to find out what was going on."
"What did you find there?"
"The XO was in charge and had the Air Boss sending up the first squadron to fly defence for the ship."
"It's not unusual for there to be battle station drills especially for carrier groups."
"Yes but they tend to be in international waters. There are regulations to follow, so I questioned the XO."
"Where was the Captain at this point?"
"In his quarters. He had the XO run the drill, in case he was every incapacitated."
"Okay. So what we the major issues with the situation?"
"Well we were five miles too close to Italy for a start. There are also guidelines about launching a drill which involves launching a fighter squadron. Which include prior notice to the relevant countries, especially if they involve flying in their air space."
"So they didn't send the three day prior notice fax?" Sturgis questioned.
"The logs say it was sent just no acknowledgement of it was received, and the Italians have no records of it. The follow up call was never made. The XO thought the Captain had taken care of it and the Captain thought the XO knew he was supposed to run the whole exercise, which included notification."
"So strike one and strike two, and what's the third strike?"
"Carrier JAG who should have double checked the paperwork, never even saw it or wasn't on the bridge, he was tucked up in bed preparing for court this morning and the CNO had no idea what was going on."
"Sounds like someone is definitely out of here." Sturgis concluded.
"Exactly. When I finished questioning the XO, a General Armani, spelt like the clothing designer, from Italian Air Defence Command wanted to know why they'd invaded their air space without prior notification. That's when I left the bridge; the XO was calling for the carrier JAG and the Captain. I came down here and called Admiral Chegwidden and got him to conference call the SecNav and the CNO."
"So what's happening at the moment?"
"The Captain and the XO have been removed from duty pending our investigation. The third in command, Ops, has taken temporary command as we're sitting forty miles of the coast and not going anywhere right now, that doesn't matter. There is a new Captain and XO who are being arranged as we speak. But any command decision has to be run through me as I am the highest ranking officer on the ship."
"So technically you're the new skipper." Sturgis surmised.
"Sturgis, they don't let Marines command Navy vessels, let alone female Marines who are judges and have no clue what they are doing. But if you feel like taking over help yourself."
"Sorry Mac. Where are the Captain and the XO now?"
"Confined to quarters under orders of the SecNav. They have guards outside their doors." She yawned again.
"Why don't you go and get some sleep?" Sturgis suggested.
"Because I get phone calls from one person or another every fifteen minutes." The phone rang. "See." Mac picked it up. "Mackenzie.... Yes sir.... Commander Turner has arrived I'm just briefing him on the incident from my perspective... yes sir... another twelve hours... we'll see what we can find out.... aye aye sir." Mac hung up and sighed. "That was the CNO again; it will be another twelve hours before the new Captain and XO arrive they're being flown in from Pensacola. We're to start our investigation and document everything."
"The CNO keeps calling you?"
"And the SecNav, I've also had calls from Admiral Chegwidden and the Secretaries of Defence and State. The President has been briefed and sent his sincerest apologises to the Italians."
"Coffee ma'am." Jen said as she came through the door and placed a tray on the table.
"Jen, find your little friends what were there names?"
"Peterson, Johnstone and Markson." Jen supplied.
"Yes, find them we can have them do some scuttwork for us. But first could you inform the CAG I want to see him now."
"Aye aye ma'am." Jen turned and left.
"Peterson, Johnstone and Markson?" Sturgis questioned.
"First day we got here, it seems they forgot the sexual harassment policy, Jen managed to stand up for herself, but I made the Master Chief and XO review it with everyone."
"What isn't going wrong on this ship?"
"You tell me."
TBC
"Thank you."
"Colonel." Sturgis saluted her.
"Mac will do Sturgis." Mac corrected him with a yawn.
"Am I keeping you up?"
"I spent the whole night trying to placate the Italians after the SecNav called and promised them I'd conduct a full investigation into the incident."
"I don't know Mac, you've been out here five days and you're already conducting an investigation into an international incident. I'm beginning to think you're as much trouble as Harm."
"Nothing to do with me. I was just doing my job and being a judge. But now my court martial is abandoned."
"Why?" Sturgis asked.
"It turns out the evidence was tainted, the members were all huddled into a holding room at the cry of battle stations until I sent Jen to get them back to bed and they didn't have much of a case in the first place. It's easier to let it go with a warning."
"I see."
"No you really don't. This place is falling apart." Mac said as she pushed open the door to the office. Jen stood as she entered. "Jen..."
"More coffee yes ma'am. It's nice to see you Commander would you like some coffee too?" Jen asked.
"Thanks." Placing his cover on the desk.
"I'll take your sea bag and stow it in your quarters sir." Sturgis handed her the bag.
"Thanks Jen." Mac said. "Please take a seat."
"Can you brief me as to what happened exactly?" Sturgis asked.
"At approximately 0123 local time."
"Approximately? Mac are your time telling skills slipping?"
"No. Jen knocked on my door at 0126 and 17 seconds, which was just after I had woken up to the sound of the call to battle stations. I'm presuming that it took her a couple of minutes to get to my stateroom so the call must have initially gone out a few minutes before that."
"That hadn't informed you an exercise was planned?" Sturgis asked.
"No or the members. Which is why I went to the bridge to find out what was going on."
"What did you find there?"
"The XO was in charge and had the Air Boss sending up the first squadron to fly defence for the ship."
"It's not unusual for there to be battle station drills especially for carrier groups."
"Yes but they tend to be in international waters. There are regulations to follow, so I questioned the XO."
"Where was the Captain at this point?"
"In his quarters. He had the XO run the drill, in case he was every incapacitated."
"Okay. So what we the major issues with the situation?"
"Well we were five miles too close to Italy for a start. There are also guidelines about launching a drill which involves launching a fighter squadron. Which include prior notice to the relevant countries, especially if they involve flying in their air space."
"So they didn't send the three day prior notice fax?" Sturgis questioned.
"The logs say it was sent just no acknowledgement of it was received, and the Italians have no records of it. The follow up call was never made. The XO thought the Captain had taken care of it and the Captain thought the XO knew he was supposed to run the whole exercise, which included notification."
"So strike one and strike two, and what's the third strike?"
"Carrier JAG who should have double checked the paperwork, never even saw it or wasn't on the bridge, he was tucked up in bed preparing for court this morning and the CNO had no idea what was going on."
"Sounds like someone is definitely out of here." Sturgis concluded.
"Exactly. When I finished questioning the XO, a General Armani, spelt like the clothing designer, from Italian Air Defence Command wanted to know why they'd invaded their air space without prior notification. That's when I left the bridge; the XO was calling for the carrier JAG and the Captain. I came down here and called Admiral Chegwidden and got him to conference call the SecNav and the CNO."
"So what's happening at the moment?"
"The Captain and the XO have been removed from duty pending our investigation. The third in command, Ops, has taken temporary command as we're sitting forty miles of the coast and not going anywhere right now, that doesn't matter. There is a new Captain and XO who are being arranged as we speak. But any command decision has to be run through me as I am the highest ranking officer on the ship."
"So technically you're the new skipper." Sturgis surmised.
"Sturgis, they don't let Marines command Navy vessels, let alone female Marines who are judges and have no clue what they are doing. But if you feel like taking over help yourself."
"Sorry Mac. Where are the Captain and the XO now?"
"Confined to quarters under orders of the SecNav. They have guards outside their doors." She yawned again.
"Why don't you go and get some sleep?" Sturgis suggested.
"Because I get phone calls from one person or another every fifteen minutes." The phone rang. "See." Mac picked it up. "Mackenzie.... Yes sir.... Commander Turner has arrived I'm just briefing him on the incident from my perspective... yes sir... another twelve hours... we'll see what we can find out.... aye aye sir." Mac hung up and sighed. "That was the CNO again; it will be another twelve hours before the new Captain and XO arrive they're being flown in from Pensacola. We're to start our investigation and document everything."
"The CNO keeps calling you?"
"And the SecNav, I've also had calls from Admiral Chegwidden and the Secretaries of Defence and State. The President has been briefed and sent his sincerest apologises to the Italians."
"Coffee ma'am." Jen said as she came through the door and placed a tray on the table.
"Jen, find your little friends what were there names?"
"Peterson, Johnstone and Markson." Jen supplied.
"Yes, find them we can have them do some scuttwork for us. But first could you inform the CAG I want to see him now."
"Aye aye ma'am." Jen turned and left.
"Peterson, Johnstone and Markson?" Sturgis questioned.
"First day we got here, it seems they forgot the sexual harassment policy, Jen managed to stand up for herself, but I made the Master Chief and XO review it with everyone."
"What isn't going wrong on this ship?"
"You tell me."
TBC
